Some of the hundreds of Lebanese citizens who arrived in Istanbul today after fleeing Israeli airstrikes in their homeland say they are “shaken” by the events but hope to return home soon.
Israel struck targets in Beirut and elsewhere in Lebanon during a two-week wave of attacks that killed several Hezbollah commanders and about 1,000 others, according to the Lebanese government. Many others fled their homes.
All Middle East Airlines flights from Beirut to Istanbul were sold out today, according to the company’s website. Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines have canceled their flights to Beirut in the coming days.
“The situation in Lebanon is very bad. The war is escalating dramatically and there is a lot of bombing in Beirut. We hear the warplanes all night long … in the sky,” said Aref Arhad, 33, a Beirut resident who arrived in Istanbul today on a Middle flight East Airlines.
He says he hopes to be able to return to Beirut in a few days if the situation improves.
Lina Diab, a Lebanese journalist, says the area she lives in is still safe, but she decided to leave as a precaution.“We don’t want to live under stress, so I preferred to come to Istanbul, stay for a while and see what happens,” she shared while waiting for her luggage. “Let’s hope we will be back in Lebanon soon”.
